Umkomazi River
The Umkomazi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.[1]
Course
It rises in some of the highest eastwards-facing slopes of the Drakensberg mountains, near the mighty Thabana Ntlenyana. The river flows southeastwards towards the Indian Ocean, which it enters through a navigable estuary at Umkomaas, about 40 km southwest of Durban.[2] Its main tributaries are the Loteni, Nzinga, Mkomazane, Elands and the Xobho River.[3]
Towns on the Umkomazi basin include Bulwer, Impendle, Ixopo, Craigieburn and Boston. Presently the only dam in its catchment area is the Ixopo Dam, but other dams are planned.[4]
The Umkomazi is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.[5]
Ecology
The Mkhomazi State Forest and the Mkhomazi Wilderness Area are protected areas located in the upper course of the Umkomazi River.[6]
The Scaly Yellowfish (Labeobarbus natalensis) is a fish found in the Umkomazi River System as well as in the Umgeni, Umzimkulu, Tukhela and the Umfolozi. It is a common endemic species in KwaZulu-Natal Province and it lives in different habitats between the Drakensberg foothills and the coastal lowlands.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Meintjes, Malcolm (2005). Remarkable Flyfishing Destinations of Southern Africa. Struik. ISBN 1868729761.
- ^ Mkomazi Region
- ^ Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA 11
- ^ Mkomazi Region
- ^ Is there a role for traditional governance systems in South Africa's new water management regime?
- ^ Mkhomazi Wilderness Area
- ^ Technical Report on the State of Yellowfishes in South Africa 2007
External links
- Mkhomazi State Forest, KwaZulu Natal
- Water Services Planning Reference Framework - Water Resource Perspectives
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